Chamong Tee workers begin plucking

Workers plucked tea leaves in the gardens of Chamong Tee in
the Darjeeling hills on Sunday a day after the Bengal government had
allowed plantations to use 25 per cent of the labour force for
production.

Majority of trade unions of tea garden labourers are
against resumption of work in the gardens given the threat posed by
Covid-19 and seemed caught by surprise by the plucking on all 13 estates
of Chamong Tee.

“Managers approached labourers and trade unions
saying the government had allowed (plucking) and if they were willing,
they could start work,” said A.K. Lohia, chairman, Chamong Tee Exports
Private Limited.

“We are following all guidelines laid down by the government (to staunch the spread of the novel coronavirus,” he said.

Lohia added that he would request the state government to match its directive with the notification of the Centre.

The
Centre had on April 3 allowed for work in the tea plantation with 50
per cent of the hands. But the state government on Saturday allowed the
tea gardens to engage only 25 per cent of the workers for plucking
leaves.

J.B. Tamang, the working president of the tea garden
union affiliated to the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s Binay Tamang camp,
said: “I, too, heard that labourers of around 13 hill gardens joined
work. I do not want to comment immediately. I will comment after taking
into considering tomorrow’s development.”

https://www.telegraphindia.com

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Workers plucked tea leaves in the gardens of Chamong Tee in the Darjeeling hills on Sunday a day after the Bengal government had allowed plantations to use 25 per cent of the labour force for production.